Method and apparatus for gas conditioning by low-temperature vaporization and compression of refrigerants, specifically as applied to air

Abstract

A thermodynamic constant volume vapor compression heat pump system including method and apparatus wherein a closed fluid loop having first, intermediate and second treatment stations, is employed. A liquid refrigerant fluid under low pumping pressure is introduced to a first treatment station following initial expansion, accelerating propulsion, and atomization thereof, precedent to evaporation of the refrigerant fluid through a divisive containment of the accelerated refrigerant fluid. A counterflowing of a warm contained fluid under treatment occurs in heat-exchange conduction relation to the refrigerant fluid, proximal the vaporizing refrigerant of the laminar flow thereof is distrubed at no greater than one atmosphere; thereafter the vaporized refrigerant fluid is compressed at an intermediate station while diverting no greater a measure than 10% thereof to sequentially augment propulsion of oncoming liquid refrigerant through said first station; then, the remaining bulk of compressed refrigerant fluid is passed under high pressure through a second treatment station wherein the compressed refrigerant vapor is sequentially condensed by reverse-evaporation, the compressed refrigerant fluid being subjected at said second station to external conductive influence of a coolant fluid, said respective coolant fluids being divisively confined in counterflow conduction relation, and the steps aforesaid are repeated seriatim, cyclically.

I claim: 
     
       1. A thermodynamic constant volume, vapor compression closed loop fluid heat pump having first, intermediate, second and third treatment stations, comprising: (A) a first treatment station for low pressure vaporization treatment of a liquid gas refrigerant having pairs of input and output manifolds respectively at ends thereof, a heat absorbing vaporizer between respective pairs of manifolds, the vaporizer defining tiers of opposed flow, contiguous ducts for the divisive passage of opposed streams of an atomized liquid refrigerant gas and counterflow of a warm gas wherein the latter will create by conduction vapor of the former;   (B) a compressor in low pressure interconnection with the vaporizer, whereby to pressurize and pump the vapor with means to divert a minor portion thereof as a liquid refrigerant propellant, said compressor having output connection with a condenser;   (C) a condenser at a second station, adapted by reverse evaporation to transform the vapor to liquid, said condenser likewise defining pairs of input and output manifolds and tiers of ducts for the divisive passage of opposed streams of vapor and a coolant gas whereby under conduction to convert by reverse evaporation a major portion of the vapor to liquid;   (D) a third station for treating the high pressure liquid and vapor conducted respectively from the condenser and the compressor, including a liquid accelerating manifold, wherein the liquid emanating from both condenser and compressor may be pretreated, including within the manifold, in complemental, series disposition: radial liquid propellant injectors, on-line with at least two vapor propellant injectors which are respectively disposed angularly relative to the axis of the manifold, and a multiple screen matrix of a first coarse screen and a fine vapor screen, surperposed upon each other, substantially normal to the flow path of the liquid and adjacent an input manifold of the vaporizor to atomize the accelerated vapor.   
     
     
       2. A thermodynamic constant volume, vapor compression closed loop fluid heat pump having first, intermediate and second treatment stations, according to claim 1 wherein respective ducts within the vaporizer (A) each define means therein to disturb laminar flow of the respective counterflowing liquid refrigerant and warm gas. 
     
     
       3. A thermodynamic constant volume, vapor compression closed loop fluid heat pump having first, intermediate and second treatment stations, according to either claims 1 or 2, wherein the liquid accelerating manifold (D) mounts internally, plural turbulence baffles intermediately of the vapor propellant injectors and the screen matrix. 
     
     
       4. A thermodynamic constant volume, vapor compression closed loop fluid heat pump having first, intermediate and second treatment stations, according to either claim 2, wherein the liquid accelerating manifold is of circular cross-section and the radial liquid propellant injectors conform concentrically in disposition to the interior of the said accelerating manifold. 
     
     
       5. A thermodynamic constant volume, vapor compression closed loop fluid heat pump having first, intermediate and second treatment stations, according to either claim 2, wherein the screen matrix is composed of at least one upstream coarse screen having between #30 and #100 mesh and at least one contiguously disposed downstream screen having between #100 and #300 mesh, said screen matrix covering substantially the entire vertical cross-section area defined by the interior of the liquid accelerating manifold.